St Crispian's Day speech (1 Viewer)

[kilted vampire]

To my mind I can think of no speech any more stirring that this one from Henry the Fifth.

WESTMORELAND. O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!

KING. What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

 

[Scott]

Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers!
I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
A day may come when the courage of Men fails
When we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship
But it is not this day
An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Man comes crashing down
But it is not this day!
This day we fight!
By all that you hold dear on this good earth
I bid you stand, Men of the West!

 

[UKReb]

Agree totally with your post Michael without doubt one of the most inspirational and beautifully crafted speeches in literature and completely invented by Will Shakespeare due no doubt to his complete admiration for Henry V.

Most of his plays were political for the benefit of his monarch Elizabeth and her entourage and obviously for himself to court favor. Poor old Richard III has gone into the history books as the biggest villian in the History of Christendom due to WS's play written at the time for no other reason than that he was killed by Elizabeth's Grandfather Henry VII at Bosworth which began the reigns of the Tudors. Historians refute the facts that he was a murderous, wart ridden hunchback-we have Will to thank for that.

But his St Crispian's Day speech from Henry V is an exceptional exception that has stirred the hearts of men throughout history-Nelson used it in his speech " I had the happiness to command a band of brothers". During your civil war it was used by Lincoln; Frederick Douglas; Oliver Wendell Holmes and umpteen others. The Bonnie Blue Flag's lyrics contain "We are a band of Brothers" as does Hail Columbia perhaps the first anthem of America all the way through to Easy Company in WWII evidence that even after 400 years plus Shakespeare's speech remains an extremely strong force in English speaking men's psyche.

Bob

 

[PJDeluhery]

You know, while the last few lines of this great speech are often quoted, I don't recall having read the whole speech before - or at least not since high school. Very inspiring. Thanks.

 

[kilted vampire]

The last part of the speech is used frequently to be sure. Thought it would be nice to see the whole enchilada. My apologies to the Bard!

 

[lancer]

Been a LONG time (high school) since I have read the whole speech. Thanks for posting it. -- Al

 

[Scott]

Physiological Warfare....

"...
SCENE III. The same. Before the gates.

The Governor and some Citizens on the walls; the English forces below. Enter KING HENRY and his train

KING HENRY V

How yet resolves the governor of the town?
This is the latest parle we will admit;
Therefore to our best mercy give yourselves;
Or like to men proud of destruction
Defy us to our worst: for, as I am a soldier,
A name that in my thoughts becomes me best,
If I begin the battery once again,
I will not leave the half-achieved Harfleur
Till in her ashes she lie buried.
The gates of mercy shall be all shut up,
And the flesh'd soldier, rough and hard of heart,
In liberty of bloody hand shall range
With conscience wide as hell, mowing like grass
Your fresh-fair virgins and your flowering infants.
What is it then to me, if impious war,
Array'd in flames like to the prince of fiends,
Do, with his smirch'd complexion, all fell feats
Enlink'd to waste and desolation?
What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause,
If your pure maidens fall into the hand
Of hot and forcing violation?
What rein can hold licentious wickedness
When down the hill he holds his fierce career?
We may as bootless spend our vain command
Upon the enraged soldiers in their spoil
As send precepts to the leviathan
To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harfleur,
Take pity of your town and of your people,
Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command;
Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace
O'erblows the filthy and contagious clouds
Of heady murder, spoil and villany.
If not, why, in a moment look to see
The blind and bloody soldier with foul hand
Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters;
Your fathers taken by the silver beards,
And their most reverend heads dash'd to the walls,
Your naked infants spitted upon pikes,
Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confused
Do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry
At Herod's bloody-hunting slaughtermen.
What say you? will you yield, and this avoid,
Or, guilty in defence, be thus destroy'd?


GOVERNOR

Our expectation hath this day an end:
The Dauphin, whom of succors we entreated,
Returns us that his powers are yet not ready
To raise so great a siege. Therefore, great king,
We yield our town and lives to thy soft mercy.
Enter our gates; dispose of us and ours;
For we no longer are defensible.

KING HENRY V

Open your gates. Come, uncle Exeter,
Go you and enter Harfleur; there remain,
And fortify it strongly 'gainst the French:
Use mercy to them all. For us, dear uncle,
The winter coming on and sickness growing
Upon our soldiers, we will retire to Calais.
To-night in Harfleur we will be your guest;
To-morrow for the march are we addrest.

Flourish. The King and his train enter the town
..."

 

[Scott]

Then there's the locker room pep-talk...


SCENE I. France. Before Harfleur.

Alarum. Enter KING HENRY, EXETER, BEDFORD, GLOUCESTER, and Soldiers, with scaling-ladders

KING HENRY V

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

Exeunt. Alarum, and chambers go off

 

[Evzone]

Of the two film versions that made the big screen what preference have fellow Treefroggers got - your call Olivier or Brannagh?

 

[Evzone]

Brannagh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAvmLDkAgAM

Olivier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9fa3HFR02E

 

[Scott]

Renaissance Man pt. 13 about 4:40 into the clip.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdOhYv6nRJA

 

[lancer]

Of the two film versions that made the big screen what preference have fellow Treefroggers got - your call Olivier or Brannagh?

I like them both but prefer Brannagh's reading. I much preferred the Brannagh version of the film. -- Al

 

[Scott]

Brannagh version

Right! It had Emperor Claudius, Hagrid, Nanny McPhee, Bilbo Baggins, "M", Batman, and Prince Vultan of the Hawkmen in it.

 

[lancer]

Re: Brannagh version

Right! It had Emperor Claudius, Hagrid, Nanny McPhee, Bilbo Baggins, "M", Batman, and Prince Vultan of the Hawkmen in it.

LOL! I didn't realize all of them were in it. --Al

 

[kilted vampire]

Mongo like Shakespeare! Huh-uh

 

[Evzone]

On the subject of motivational speech, I reckon the following from is probably the best in modern times............


We go to liberate, not to conquer.
We will not fly our flags in their country
We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own.
Show respect for them.

There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly.
Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send.
As for the others, I expect you to rock their world.
Wipe them out if that is what they choose.
But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.

Iraq is steeped in history.
It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham.
Tread lightly there.

You will see things that no man could pay to see
-- and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis.
You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.

Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country.
Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.

If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day.
Allow them dignity in death.
Bury them properly and mark their graves.

It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive.
But there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign.
We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back.
There will be no time for sorrow.

The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction.
There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam.
He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done.
As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity.

It is a big step to take another human life.
It is not to be done lightly.
I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts.
I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them.

If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family.
The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.

If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer.
You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest -- for your deeds will follow you down through history.
We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation.

It is not a question of if, it's a question of when.
We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself.
If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack.

As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there.

Our business now is North.

Colonel Tim Collins addressing the Royal Irish Regiment given on the eve of battle during the war in Iraq in 2003

 

[UKReb]

Of the two film versions that made the big screen what preference have fellow Treefroggers got - your call Olivier or Brannagh?

Both have their merits but two entirely different presentations. Branagh's film deliberately highlighted in graphic detail the bloodshed and horror of war completely debunking the wholesale belief that medieaval war was chivalrous. Where Olivier's film is much more stylised and is presented almost as a re-enactment of what it may have looked like as performed at the Globe theatre in Shakespeare time.

But Olivier's film was pure British propaganda instigated by Churchill-a great fan of WS war plays- Churchill gave a tremendous amount of logistical help to Olivier's production team because he was aware that Britain in 1943/44 desperately required a morale booster and Henry V fitted the bill perfectly even down to the V in the title -forever associated with Churchill- was a perfect symbolic reference to the time the film was made.

Pauline Kael described it best when she wrote in The New Yorker Magazine " Henry V perhaps the greatest jingoistic play ever conceived"

Reb

 

[Scott]

"It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham."

Sure it's a good speech but.....

He couldn't name a historical event that happened there or his troops wouldn't know of a historical event that happened there. I get angry when they have to resort to religion to get men to fight. Especially now.



You have to figure that the fictional St. Crispian's day speech was for a battle in a needless war that the French managed to lose.

Modern politics over.

 

[Scott]

What was fun about the Olivier film was the gradual transformation from the stage version to a "live" version that still had elements of medieval art.

Plus it had good old Robert Newton.

"Yarhhh Jim Hawkins!"

 

[UKReb]

What was fun about the Olivier film was the gradual transformation from the stage version to a "live" version that still had elements of medieval art.

Plus it had good old Robert Newton.

"Yarhhh Jim Hawkins!"

Long John Silver eh! but it also had Merlin; The Mad Hatter; Scrooge albeit the younger version; The Mad Mahdi and even Heironymous Merkin -Quite a cast!

Reb